The biggest-ever Android adware and spyware campaign might have duped as much as 5 million users into installing infected apps from Google’s Android Market, Symantec reckons.

Dubbed “Android.Counterclank” by Symantec, the adware and spyware was packaged in 13 different apps from three different publishers, with titles varying from “Sexy Women Puzzle” to “Counter Strike Ground Pressure.” Most of the infected apps remained as on the Android Market by 3 p.m. ET Friday.

“They do not seem to be real publishers,” Kevin Haley, a director with Symantec’s security response team, stated within an interview today. “These bankruptcies are not rebundled apps, as we have seen a lot of occasions before.”

Haley was talking about a typical tactic by Android adware and spyware makers to repackage the best application with attack code, then re-release it towards the marketplace with the hope that users will confuse the fake with the real thing.

Symantec believed the outcome by mixing the download totals — that the Android Market shows as ranges — from the 13 apps, coming in a figure between a million around the low finish and 5 million around the high. “Yes, this is actually the largest adware and spyware [outbreak] around the Android Market,” stated Haley.

Android.Counterclank is really a Trojan viruses horse that whenever placed on an Android smartphone collects an array of information, including copies from the bookmarks and also the handset maker. Additionally, it modifies the browser’s webpage.

The online hackers have monetized the adware and spyware by pushing undesirable advertisements to compromised Android phones.

Even though the infected apps request an uncommonly many rights — something which the consumer must approve — Haley contended that couple of people bother studying them before giving their okay.

“Should you be the suspicious type, you may question why they are requesting permission to change the browser or transmit Gps navigation coordinates,” stated Haley. “But many individuals don’t bother.”

Android.Counterclank is really a minor variation with an older Android Trojan viruses horse known as Android.Tonclank which was discovered in June 2011.

A few of the 13 apps that Symantec recognized as infected have been receiving the Android Market not less than per month, based on the revision dates published around the e-store. Symantec, however, discovered them only yesterday.

Users had observed something fishy before this.

“The sport is decent … but any time you run farmville, a ‘search icon will get added at random to your screens,” stated one user on Jan. 16 after installing “Deal & Be Uniform,” among the 13. “I keep deleting the icon, however it always reappears. Should you tap the icon you receive a page that appears suspiciously such as the Search page.”

Android users have hammered among the infected apps with low review scores, calling it ‘crap.’

All 13 suspected apps have the freedom for that installing.

Symantec’s scientific study has told Google of the discovery, stated Haley. Google, however, didn’t immediately answer questions along with a request confirmation around the security firm’s claims.

Haley stated Symantec’s researchers continue to be “peeling back the layers from the onion,” and added that the organization would publish a lot of the threat because it unearthed details. “What’s interesting here’s that rather of taking legitimate apps, [adware and spyware authors] have produced apps much like legitimate ones,” stated Haley. “That, and also the big figures of downloads, obviously.Inch

Symantec has printed a summary of the 13 infected apps on its website.